The NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking into a recent incident in which Dante Fowler Jr. watched two women brawl without intervening.
TMZ Sports released a surveillance video early Tuesday morning that reportedly shows Fowler’s girlfriend and the mother of his child fighting near an elevator at a Florida apartment complex at around 10 p.m. on Feb. 1. Fowler doesn’t intervene in the fight and even appears to serve as a referee at one point, raising questions about whether the Jaguars defensive end could have done more to prevent — rather than enable — the situation.
“I am embarrassed and have apologized for my actions to everyone involved,” Fowler said in a statement released Tuesday. “As a family, we have been dealing with this moment and the conflict that led to it since this occurred. The video surfacing is a sad reminder that emotions got the best of all of us. I take 100 percent responsibility for everything that happened.”
Fowler, who was selected third overall by the Jaguars in last year’s draft, missed the entire 2015 season after tearing his ACL on the first day of rookie minicamp. The Jags have high hopes for the 21-year-old, who signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $23.5 million shortly after suffering the injury, so the organization isn’t taking the recent fight video lightly.
“Dante brought the incident to our attention prior to the video being released and was embarrassed and remorseful,” a statement released Tuesday by the Jaguars said. “Violence of this type against others is unacceptable in our society and to our organization. We will continue to look into the incident while offering resources and providing support to Dante and his family to help them through this private matter.”
The NFL also is investigating the incident.
“These are disturbing images, and we will review the matter,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, according to ESPN.com.
Thumbnail photo via Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports Images
